


Name Calling

by orphan_account



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Book: Career of Evil, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 09:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12745401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A day full of emotions, realizations and name calling. COE Chapter 20 alternative.





	Name Calling

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one of two possibly three.

It was getting late on the Tuesday afternoon. Robin was soon to leave the office to tail Platinum, which she was glad. She had been able to avoid Strike for most of the day.  
At the moment he was in his office talking with Shanker. 

Shanker, thought Robin, what the hell kind of a name is that? And this Shanker, scary looking bloke, called Cormoran, Bunsen. She shook her head slightly, saying to herself, ‘I’ve far more important things to think about, than name calling.’ Like where she’ll be sleeping tonight. There was no way she was going home, she wouldn’t give Matthew the satisfaction of trying to explain himself, him and bloody, Robin quickly came up with her own name for Sarah Shadlock… Shagwell, she should’ve known. But what’s done is done, there’d be no going back now. 

Even though she had said the words in her head with as much certainty and stubbornness as she could muster, Robin could feel the tears fill her eyes once more. She had to get out of here, she needed the cold air to sooth the burning of her cheeks and a distraction to get her through the next few hours.

Strike was still in conversation with Shanker when his office door opened. Robin walked in holding a tray of pour it yourself tea and coffee, clearly not wanting to stay in the room to offer options. Strike was hoping for eye contact, so he could show her understanding or empathy, or something but she had turned away from him.

“I’m off to trail Platinum, see you tomorrow, night.” She said hastily. Strike watched as she quickly closed the door behind her. He couldn’t let her leave like this, cheeks tear stained, engagement finger beautifully bare. “Robin!” he called after her rising from his chair. 

“I’ve got my phone on me.” She called back. “Robin!” He called her name again not being able to stop himself from repeating it, crossing the floor of his office throwing open the door, He could hear she was already on the stairs “Call me if you need me,” ‘Fuck’ he said the floor “I mean, if you need anything.” There was no reply, the door to the outside world had closed behind her. 

“I cn go afta er if ya want, keep n eye.” Shanker said, watching his old mate Bunsen with a mix of concern and potential earnings resinating in his voice.

“No, no I’ll call her later.” He replied, distant and distracted.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur for both Strike and Robin. They both performed their mundane tasks both not fully focused on what they were doing.

Robin had tailed Platinum later into the evening than expected. She’d only just realised that it had been dark for a while now and she still hadn’t organised anywhere to sleep.

Her phone had multiple messages from both Matthew and Cormoran. She skipped past the ones from Matthew and opened up the ones from Cormoran. There were 4 and two voice messages. The texts were short and clear, she knew he wasn’t giving her room to miss interpret.

The messages in order went:  
1\. Call me when you get a free moment.  
2\. Are you alright?  
3\. Where are you? Either answer you phone when I call or text me that you’re okay, please.  
4\. Robin!!??

The voicemails practically matched the text but she could hear the concern in his voice, she felt both touched and a sense of longing. She needed a hug, she pictured herself being held by him. She knew she would feel safe in his arms. ‘Shit girl’ she scolded herself, the silver and blue engagement ring had been removed from her finger barely twenty -four hours before and she was already picturing herself in the arms of another man. But if she was being truly honest with herself, this wasn’t the first time she had had thoughts of her and Cormoran in an embrace. But, thinking of something and actually doing it, her mind furious with Matthew once more, were two different things.

It made her think of Cormoran again, she remembered back to her first day at the office and for the months preceding that day. He had been sleeping in his office after his breakup with Charlotte. But he was now in a flat upstairs. ‘Could I get away with sneaking into the office once he’s gone to bed?’ So distracted had she been by these thoughts that she was absentmindedly wandering down Tottenham Court Road towards THE pub. The pub where she’d found Cormoran drowning his sorrows upon hearing the announcement of Charlotte’s new engagement. Robin smirked to herself, ‘seems fitting.’ She was still smirking when her phone rang, it was Cormoran.

She had been totally oblivious to both the man she had just passed concealed in a darkened doorway and another man who was watching her intently from across the street.

She stood just outside the door to the Tottenham to finally gather her courage and answer her phone. She was expecting frustration and anger to blast her ear, so the softness confused her momentarily, she just stood there silently.

“You okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine” She lied “I’ve not long finished with Platinum…I’m heading home now.”  
This, she felt was only half a lie, because right now at this moment, she didn’t really have a home, so where ever she found to sleep tonight, that would-be home. She was desperate to end the call before becoming emotional. “I’ll see you in the morning, night.” And she hung up. A deep sigh excited her body as she entered the familiar surroundings of what she thought of as her local haunt. Approaching the bar, her holdall on her shoulder Robin spotted an A4 sign at the corner of the counter. New B‘n’B Accommodation from $39 per night. ‘And just like that, I’m home for the night.’ She said to herself with a smile. She booked the cheapest room and ordered a wine. The bartender who she had come to know as Henry glanced sideways at her holdall but reserved comment. “Is there anything else I can get for you Robin?” Henry asked with a touch of curiosity. “You know my name?” Robin asked a tad taken back.  
“Yeah, you’re Strikes partner, where’s the old bruiser anyway? I’ve not seen him in today.” “No?” she replied as she handed an additional 10 pound note to Henry “If he does come in, can you bring him 2 pints of Doom Bar and a whisky, he’ll have some catching up to do.” Robin suddenly realised that she was excited about a potential drunken night with her boss, maybe it was just because she knew she had somewhere to stay. She had also resigned to the fact that she really liked his company and maybe he’s exactly what she needs tonight. She took a large gulp of wine and placed the glass back onto the bar. Only just realising it had been hours since she’d been to the bathroom.  
“Henry could you be a dear and top that up for me please. I’ll be back for it in a minute.”  
The door to the bathroom was still swinging shut as Strike approached the bar.

He’d had a frustrating day. He had cursed himself for letting Robin, who was clearly distraught and un engaged, leave their office and for not taking up Shanker on his offer to keep an eye on her. He couldn’t concentrate on what he was doing, he’d sprayed his hot beverage across the room after taking a sip and realising that he’d added a tea bag to his coffee instead of sugar. Robin hadn’t replied to any of his messages, text or voice and he was beginning to lose his mind. 

The precise reason for this, he couldn’t pinpoint, was it due to the fact that there was a serial killer on the loose and Robin was out there alone and not communicating with him or was it more that he desperately wanted to comfort her, to absorb some of her pain for her, or he just wanted her in his arms. He didn’t want to leave the office in case she returned. He also thought it best to rest his leg now if he found himself walking the streets later to look for her. 

The afternoon ticked by slowly, and he had done nothing but worry. He waited ‘til 7pm before heading toward the only place that could offer him sanity, the pub.  
On his short but cranky walk he had looked at his phone screen at least 20 times. Do I call again, do I leave her be? Fuck, what if she’s in trouble? On pondering these thoughts, he looked down at his shirt, dark tea/coffee stains were down the front, he hadn’t even checked his appearance before leaving the office. He stopped to look at his reflection in a shop window. “Ahh Bollocks” he said to his reflection, noticing a smirk had formed on his mouth as he pictured numerous accounts of Robin using that term, it always made him smile. He was unshaven, ragged, basically he looked like shit. 

With his back to the street and to the Tottenham across the road, he caught a glimpse of gold in his periphery. He dare not turn, just in case. A brief moment later his suspicion was confirmed, it was Robin. ‘What the hell was she doing here?’ He fumbled for his phone in his pocket, she hadn’t seen him. He could see she had been upset, she was carrying the bag he’d spotted stashed under her desk carried on her shoulder and she was heading toward the pub. He was just elated that he had seen her and that she was okay. All his previous frustrations had melted away. He turned his back fully towards her so she wouldn’t be alerted to the glow of his phone. It rang 3 times before she answered.

“You okay?’

He mulled over her response as he crossed the street. ‘Heading home now’ she told him. This was not home. He waited outside and watched as she spent a few minutes talking with Henry. He didn’t want her to know he was here. Not just yet. He watched horrified as she had taken a large gulp of wine. She’d be pissed in no time. No sooner had she headed for the bathroom and Strike was at the bar.

“Ah St…” Henry had started to announce. Strike threw a hand up to silence him. “What?” Henry asked “Robin & I were just talking about you.”

“Henry, just shush and listen. She can’t know I’ve been in, what did she want?” Henry looked at him like he was a bit nuts. 

“Wine, oh & she booked one of our new rooms for the night.”

“Which room?” Strike asked with urgency.

“The cheapest.” Replied Henry.

“Upgrade her to the safest, tell her that there had been an error, I’ll be back in fifteen tops. Don’t tell her I’ve been in or that I’ll be back.” He turned to walk out “Oh and for fuck sake don’t give her more than 2 glasses of wine, feed her some crisps or something.” He ran back to the bar and placed a 20 on the counter. “Tell her they’re complimentary or something. Don’t let her out of your sight, I’ll be right back.”  
Strike ran from the pub leaving a very confused Henry in his wake.

14 Minutes later as promised Strike re- entered the pub, clean shirt, slightly shaven and looking less like shit than he had earlier. The crowed had doubled in size since he’d left, he bumped shoulder with one or two in his haste to find Robin.  
There was a rowdy bunch of young guys to his left and he made the assumption that Robin was their main focus. He came up behind one guy just he was asking permission to sit with her. 

“No, you fucking can’t!” Strike said physically pulling the guy away by the scruff.

“Alright mate.” The young guy responded, his hands in the air, in a show of, I give up. It didn’t stop the young guy throwing a look back to Robin for conformation.

“Apparently Not.” She slurred through a drunken smile. Ecstatic that Cormoran had shown up.

Strike threw a look to Henry as if to say, ‘What the Fuck happened to only two drinks.’

Henry held up two fingers and mimed back only two.

Strike turned back to Robin as he sat down opposite her, suppressing a giggle at the two empty crisp packets on the table. 

“Fancy meeting you here.” He said with mock disbelief. “This isn’t exactly home Robin, like you told me.” He was trying to be serious but the visible signs of Robins intoxication after only two glasses of wine had him thoroughly amused.

Robin gave him a cheeky smile and said “I’m renting.” She finished the statement with a little laugh. “I didn’t lie to you, tonight, this is my home.” 

Henry walked over to the table with a tray of drinks.

“Ah, good timing Henry, Cormi…” Robin looked up to a blank spot on the celling, then shook her head before continuing, “Nope, that’s no good either, Cormoran, these are for you.” Another drunken smile spread across her face. “You’ve got some serious catching up to do.” She slapped her hand down on the table “Bugga, I should have ordered you the wine, apparently it comes wiv free crisps.” She held up the empty packets before dropping them back onto the table. “Anyways, yes, I’ve booked a room, but then it changed, I think is an upgrade. Oh, maybe it has something to do with the wine and crisp promotion.” She said thoughtfully.

Strike had already knocked back his whisky and one Doom Bar. God, he needed it after what she’d put him through today. Although he loved to watch her smile and was amused by how easily she had succumbed to the effects of alcohol, he was still concerned for her well- being. He knew, all too well that when the new day comes the troubles are still there.

“So” She said with a teasing hint of mischief “I’ve been trying to come up with my own personal abbreviated or unique name for you. I’ve counted at least 5 names that you’re known by and most of them sound like they have a personal connection so thought that I was missing some in house thing by calling you...well by your name.” 

Strike in his own mind counted the four most likely ones. 1. Strike 2. Corm 3. Bunsen, she would’ve heard that today from Shanker and 4. Mystic Bob, from Anstis, on their last case. But how would she know number 5. Bluey, that name was only used by Charlotte.

Robin could see he was counting them out in his head and decided to confess.

“Charlotte left a message for Blu…for you on the answering machine.”

“Ah.” He said remembering the message. 

Almost at the end of his second pint the mood had changed, it had taken on a more serious tone, that elevated ten- fold when Robin reached across the table and grasped his hand in both of hers.

He tipped back the remains of his drink and placed the empty pint on the table and clasped his now free hand around hers, his thumbs caressing the back of her hand and sliding across her empty finger. 3 drinks in quick succession were having an impact on his professional persona. He felt so selfish taking advantage of crumbling walls between them but was unable to retract from her touch, her vulnerability. 

“So?” He asked curious, his body leaning closer “What have you come up with?”

“Well, to be perfectly honest.” She looked down at their entwined hands, then straight into his eyes “I’ve always liked Cormoran, do you mind me using your name?”

“No.” Fuck could she melt into him any further, her eyes were reaching depths into his soul that he’d forgot existed. This was becoming dangerous, he could no longer deny he had feelings for her that went well beyond just the possibility of sex, for fuck sake, he was falling in love. It was a conclusion that after trying so hard to deny, he was beginning to accept. He wanted to embrace this feeling to embrace her, to celebrate his new -found love, but that would be a stupid and thoughtless thing to do now. It was highly likely that she would try to rekindle her relationship with Matthew and he, Cormoran would have to suffer through that process. His heart was aching at the thought of being broken.

Fearing he only had hours left before a new day dawned and Robin would regret being open with him, he made a bold move and offered to settle her into her ‘Home’ for the night.

Hand in hand they ascended the short staircase to Robins upgraded room.


End file.
